A hotel chef has been fired after boasting on Instagram that he feeds meat to vegans

Alex Lambert said his remarks were 'completely stupid' and are untrue.Facebook/The Independent
A hotel chef has been fired after boasting on social media that he had secretly served meat to vegans.

Alex Lambert was fired from his job as head chef of the Littleover Lodge Hotel in Derby after saying it was his "personal favourite" to serve "animal products" to vegans during an online argument on Instagram.

The 30-year-old later insisted the comments were untrue and were made to "p*** off" a vegan with whom he was having an argument about eating meat, the Telegraph reports.

But online reviews were flooded with angry comments from vegans all over the world who gave the hotel one star and demanded Mr Lambert be removed from his job.

Following the clamour, the hotel suspended Mr Lambert and said that his remarks had been made "in a heated moment".

The hotel then confirmed it had terminated his contract.

According to MailOnline, a statement from the hotel following Mr Lambert's dismissal read: "We have investigated all accusations against Mr Lambert and found no evidence suggesting that any of these practices have taken place within this hotel.

"However, due to the comments made by Mr Lambert regarding specific dietary requirements, the company has decided to terminate his employment which has been done forthwith."

Speaking following his dismissal, Mr Lambert, a father of one, admitted his comments were "stupid", but insisted he had never fed vegans any meat products.

He said: "It was a stupid comment made to a vegan during an argument online. It started as a post I had made that essentially said 'how do you know if someone is a vegan? Don't worry, they will tell you'.

"That was in relation to a customer who had come in and was telling everyone they were vegan, it's much healthier and better for them and anyone that eats meat is wrong.

"I lost my temper, which I think is understandable given her comments, and said something completely stupid with the sole intention of p***ing her off. That is basically all it was.

"For the record I have no issue with vegans."

Hotel manager Nicholas Crooks said the hotel has now responded to every single negative review, and said what Mr Lambert had done was "absolute stupidity."